Anti-Pakistan protest by Afghan diaspora in front of Pak embassy in Vienna

VIENNA: An anti-Pakistan protest was organised on Monday in front of the Pakistani Embassy in Vienna by the Afghan Cultural Association (AKIS) and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) in Vienna.

The protest was held against the illegal arrest of the head and co-founder of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, Manzoor Ahmed Pashteen and the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan.

Around 25 people from the Afghan community participated in this protest, which happened from 12:00 to 14:00 hours today.

Satori Khan, who is the head of the PTM wing in Austria, said that there is no justice for Pashtuns in Pakistan. Pashtuns are persecuted in Pakistan due to their ethnicity and are now forcefully deported.

Ghossudin Mir, the head of the Afghan Cultural Association in Vienna, said the Pakistani army and ISI are responsible for the ethnic cleansing in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He mentioned that Pakistan always acts against the interests of the Afghan people.

Protesters raised slogans and held posters against the Pakistani government.

Earlier, in December last year, PTM member Fazal-ur-Rehman Afridi lambasted the Pakistani military establishment for trying to stifle their freedom of expression and their right to peaceful assembly and asserted that they cannot stifle their freedom around the world. He said that PTM will continue its struggle until the release of PTM chief Manzoor Ahmed Pashteen, who he stressed was arrested arbitrarily and presented before the "kangaroo courts" of Pakistan.

In an interview with ANI dated December 11, 2023, Fazal-ur-Rehman Afridi said PTI activists around the world have organised protests after the arrest of Manzoor Ahmed Pashteen. He said that PTM does not believe in Pakistan's courts, which he stressed, "are compromised under the boot of the Pakistani military establishment."

Fazal-ur-Rehman Afridi said, "After the arrest of Manzoor Ahmed Pashteen, the PTM activists around the world organised global protests not only in Pakistan, but we organised the protests all around the world, including the United States of America, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Austria. And there are more in the pipelines until and unless Manzoor Pashteen is released. Manzoor Pashteen was arrested arbitrarily and presented before the Kangaroo courts of Pakistan, which are compromised under the boot of the Pakistani military establishment."

PTM chief Manzoor Ahmed Pashteen was arrested on December 4, 2023.

The PTM alleged that Pashteen's vehicle was fired at by law enforcement agencies (LEAs) while he was on his way from Chaman to Turbat, where protests were held against an alleged extrajudicial killing, Dawn reported.